Saved by my nightmare (A Nigerian Story)

CHAPTER 30

"And indeed, the Satan is an open enemy"

Kaduna, Nigeria
2019.

"Morning sir" A very tired and somewhat angry Rayyan's eyes snapped to the personnel who had just entered.

"What is it, Patrick?" He answered, trying to keep his voice as un-menacing as possible.

He'd already been rumoured to have serious mental issues, he didn't need any more curious stares from the personnel on board.

"Sir, the Commander requested your presence in his office, and he said you should bring the flashdrive he gave you" Nodding at the man, Rayyan dug into his drawer just as the door closed behind the O.S (ordinary seaman...lowest ranking rating).

He picked up his phone and wallet, then tucked the flashdrive into his pockets.

Scanning the room, he made a mental list of all he needed, and got them, then proceeded to the commander's cabin.

****

"Morning sir" He saluted the Commander, Captain I.A Ahmed.

"Morning Kamardeen" the man answered, issuing his command for him to stand at ease.

He proceeded to his position at the table the Captain headed, drawing his laptop from his bag as they waited for the other members of their committee to arrive.

A few minutes later, two sub-lieutenants walked in, followed by a lieutenant, one of Rayyan's coursemates.

The last of them to arrive, and complete the committee was a commander, M.O Igwe, popularly known for his excessive love for women and alcohol.

His rather disoriented look was enough indication that he'd just been from the bar.

From the corner of his eye, Rayyan spotted the sub-lieutenants, one of which was getting the projector ready, eyeing Commander Igwe distastefully.

The man had be known to make very poor judgements when drunk, most of which were at the detriment of the other officers on board.

A very vivid example was the foolishness he'd exhibited barely a fornight from that day, the money the Chief of Naval Staff(CNS) had allocated to the feeding of everybody in the Nigerian Defence Academy had been squandered by the Commander, who quite unfortunately was the BABO (Base and Budget Officer).

The money, roughly estimated to a sum of three million naira, when asked to be accounted for, remained a million, eight hundred thousand naira.

The CNS had issued to have all officers on board put on probation if the money couldn't be accounted for before the end of the month, which had elapsed the day before.

The brunt of the punishment fell on the Commander of the NDA, Captain Ahmed, who with no foreknowledge of the embezzlemnt, had been made to pay half a million from his own pockets.

The other officers on board, about twenty in number, had also been made to pay at least a hundred thousand naira, which left the sublieutenants whose monthly pay was almost equivalent to the money angered, and rightfully so.

So, Rayyan understood their sentiments, seeing how he'd had to give up a hundred and thirty thousand for the man--who still showed no sign of regret in the slightest.

"Gentlemen" Captain Ahmed clapped, calling everyone's attention to himself.

Rayyan's eyes flickered to the closed doors before moving back to the Captain.

As their committee was a secret, one specially supervised by the CNS himself, every information shared was highly confidential and would be of detriment to the Navy as a whole if leaked.